The Not-So Monster
by BluezebraAFHS
Summary: When the ransom money will take a while to be gathered up, how does Holly survive the company of the mud boy. And will she realize that he's not as much of a monster as she thought? Set right after first book.
1. Chapter 1: Delay

**Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl. Sniff, sniff.**

Chapter 1: Delay  
_Sorry Fowl, but your ransom money will take a while to be gathered._

The words echoed in his head for a few seconds. Eventually, he composed himself and gave one of his signature vampire grins. "Well, commander, it seems that I will be graced with the company of your captain for a little while longer. How long? Perhaps you could tell me?"  
Commander Root glared at the human boy in front of him. How did a boy of merely twelve years old pull this off? He might be a genius, but this is impossible, even for him.  
"Most likely, two weeks to a month. Though if we are extremely unlucky, it could take up to a year to get the amount of money you've requested gathered up."  
"I see." Artemis Fowl the second replied. "I shall see you then, Commander."  
_Maybe not, _thought Root, walking away from the mansion. "Foaly, you damn centaur! Is the bio bomb ready?" Called Root  
"Yes, but are you sure you want to do this?" the centaur replied  
"Yes, if that mud whelp is right, and he does have a way to escape the time field, then hopefully he's not so much of a monster that he would leave Captain Short for dead."  
"I hope your right Commander." Said Foaly, the worry for his friend clearly showing in his eyes. He didn't have many friends, and the possibility of losing one of the few he had was not sitting well with him. _Forgive me Holly. _He thought, launching the bio bomb that was supposed to wipe out the mud boy and his monkeys.

_Meanwhile…_

Artemis Fowl walked down the steps to the basement with his worry carefully concealed from his bodyguard. He knew full well that a bio bomb was about to be released upon his home, he just hoped that the elf in his basement wouldn't be so stubborn as to die from it. He would not let another creature die at his own hands, even if it was indirectly, without at least giving it a chance.  
He walked through the door and found the feisty little elf on the bed he had supplied her. Every time he saw her, he was surprised by how human she looked. "Well captain, it seems you'll be staying here a little while longer."  
Immediately, the creature's head snapped up. "What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously  
"Well, it would seem there was a little problem in gathering the ransom. It will take a little while. To be precise, two weeks to a month. Unless they come upon some additional problems, then it could take up to a year."  
Holly groaned. At least two weeks in the company of this little monster? She didn't know if she could handle that. Then, a thought came to her mind, and she snorted. "I really doubt that. You'll probably be dead within the next hour, they'll obviously throw a bio bomb onto you."  
"Yes, I am well aware of that. But as I've said before, I have found a way to escape the time field. Now, I came to offer you a way out as well."  
She openly gaped at this statement. "Well, I honestly didn't think you cared, Fowl." She snapped  
Artemis sighed, this was going nowhere, and there wasn't much time left. "Captain, I am not about to let another living creature die when there is a way they could have lived. I am not about to become a murderer, if an indirect one, without at least giving you a chance. So please, take this pill, and let me do what I need to do." He said, holding out the little pill.  
"How do I know you're not tricking me, and the pill is really just poison?"  
Artemis shrugged. "You'll just have to believe me I guess."  
she looked at him suspiciously while slowly reaching out for the pill and the glass of water he held out for her. She swallowed it, and watched as the world slowly faded to black.

**Review please.**


	2. Chapter 2: Disobeying orders

**Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl. And this goes to the rest of the chapters. It's too saddening to put it up, so I'll do the rest now. I… don't… own… Artemis… Fowl.  
****  
** Chapter 2: Disobeying orders

Holly Short woke in a room that was definitely not the cellar. _Where am I? _She thought, and then she remembered. The ransom, Fowl, bio bomb. She groaned, great, another two weeks at the least stuck with Fowl. She looked around, and realized he must have put her into one of the guest rooms. _Well, _she thought,_ at least he's not keeping me in that cellar for the time I'm here. _She decided to get up, and see if the door was locked. She walked over, and was able to open the door. "At least I'm not a complete prisoner." She said quietly to herself. She shut the door, and went back to her bed, where she sat thinking until she heard a knock on her door. "Come in." she said quietly Artemis opened the door, and peeked inside. "Ah, Captain. You're awake. I thought you might like some food." He said, holding up a tray of fresh fruit. In response, Holly's stomach grumbled, reminding her how hungry she was. Artemis chuckled, and walked over to her bed. Holly, from instinct, started shrinking into her pillow, away from him. He frowned. "I promise you, Captain. I will not hurt you in any way. Even if I may seem like it from the person you first saw, I am not that kind of person, I assure you. I loathe any kind of violence, and have restrained from using it, unless I see that it is the only way to get out of a situation alive. And trust me; I doubt I will need to resort to any violence." Holly relaxed a little, but didn't move towards him. He sighed, and handed her the fruit. "Don't worry; all produce is freshly grown on the manor's grounds, so it has no chemicals in it." She nodded and took the platter from his hand, and only then did she realize that he was not wearing any reflective gear. She was about to say something, when he cut her off. "Ah, I see you noticed the lack of protection, but there is a reason for that. You see, I must set some rules. First; you will not, under any circumstances, leave this manor unless Butler or I have specifically told you can and are with you. Secondly; you will not put any being in this house hold under your _Mesmer. _Thirdly; You will be allowed to roam the manor, so long as you stay away from any outside doors or windows, unless told specifically you could go near them. And fourthly; I must ask you to stay away from the attic. That is the only place that you are not allowed to go, unless of course, I think of another place to keep you from. That is all." He started walking out of the room, when he turned around and said "Oh, I will be back later to give you a tour of the manor. Please, if you decide to wander, don't get lost." He then walked out the door, leaving her alone again. After laying down the rules for Captain Short, Artemis went down to the kitchen to talk to Butler. "Well, how did it go?" asked Butler "It went by okay. She was afraid of me at first, but I told her I would not use violence, and she relaxed a bit, then I laid down the rules. I have to go back up later and give her the tour." "That's good. Try to gain her trust, Artemis. But don't do anything to break it, trust is a delicate thing, and one wrong move can break it." Butler replied Artemis nodded, and went up to the attic to check up on his mother.

Holly waited a few minutes after he left, and decided to go walk around. She needed to think. Why was the mud boy being so kind to her? Maybe he was planning something. _But, _she thought,_ What if h e really is just trying to be kind to me? _No, she shook herself. She didn't need to think that. She started wandering around aimlessly, before she came to the stairs leading to the attic. Fowl had told her she was not to go up there, but not as a direct order. She started climbing the stairs, as quiet as a mouse. When she got to the top, she saw a single door. She opened it, and saw a woman. Why would Artemis not want her to know that this woman was up here? Maybe she was another hostage. She was just about to walk in, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, and saw Artemis standing right behind her, anger showing clearly in his eyes. "What do you think you are doing?" he hissed "Nothing of your concern." She hissed back, angry at being caught. "You were just about to disobey an order; I think it is my business." He replied smugly she was just about to speak, when the woman in the room spoke. "Arty, is that you?"

**I know, I'm evil. Review and the next chappie will be up soon. By the way, thanks to shaadiaThePrincessOfWeird and Renee Swan for reviewing. You are awesome. Oh, and Renee Swan, if the chapter didn't answer, there won't be anything like that. No, Artemis will be Artemis in this story, and there won't be any actual violence. There may be a part where he's about to slap her, then manages to regain his cool before he does, though. I'll try to do daily updates, but with the homework I get at school, I'll probably be lucky to manage weekly updates. Ciao. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl. Sniff, sniff.**


	3. Chapter 3: Discovered

Chapter 3: Discovered

"Arty, is that you?"  
Holly and Artemis both froze for a moment, before Artemis regained his composure. "Yes mother." he replied  
Holly was confused. Mother? She watched him open the door, and walk into the room. "Oh Arty, that dreadful maid left the curtains open again. Will you close them for me?"  
"Of course, mother." he replied, walking over to the curtains, and pulling them shut. "How are you feeling today mother? I'd hope you were better than yesterday?"  
"Yes, I am better." Holly watched as the woman, no, Artemis's mother, squinted up at him. "Who are you? And why do you keep calling me mother? I have no son. No, I only have Timmy. And when he gets back, I will make sure that he has a serious talk with you. Now, leave this room immediately, and don't come back!" She then proceeded to pick up a vase and throw it at her son, who just barely managed to dodge it before scrambling out of the room.  
Holly stared at him wide eyed. That woman was his mother? What happened to her? Did_ he_ do something to her? And who was Timmy?  
Instead of asking any of these questions, Holly decided to annoy him. "Arty, huh?" she asked  
"Yes, my mother's pet name for me." Artemis replied "Now, I have to ask you not to come up here again. You can see now why I asked you not to in the first place. Now, would you like a tour of the manor now, or would you like to wait until after dinner?"  
"Umm... I guess now?" she replied  
He nodded, and started walking, motioning for her to follow him.  
Artemis was mad. He had not expected her to go straight up to the attic. She probably thought he had done something to his own mother. He inwardly shuddered at the thought. Hopefully she didn't think of him as that much of a monster. Of course, he probably had given her reason to. He shook his head, and focused on the task at hand.  
"So, this is the... family room, and there's the dining room. The kitchen is over there, and that's your guest room there." said Artemis, pointing to the specified places. Holly looked around and saw another door. "What's that room?" she asked, pointing to it.  
"That is my study, and you are not allowed in there either. Unless, of course, I tell you specifically you can go in." he replied  
Holly nodded. Great, now she wanted to go in there.  
Artemis watched her curiously. She never bothered to hide her emotions. Nothing like him. He watched desire to go into his study, and then confusion flicker across his face. He walked her back to her room. "Dinner will be ready at six." he said, nodding to her and shutting the door.  
Artemis sighed. He was starting to grow close to her, even though he doubted that she was starting to like him. Was he being too polite? Should he be more... friendly. He wanted to gain her trust. He knew that if he became friends with the People, then maybe they could be useful. Maybe, just maybe, they could help him find his father. He was the last one who believed that he was alive, except for his mother at times of course, so no one was looking for him any more. It was up to him now. Up to a son to save his father.

Holly was confused. When she found out that the ransom money was going to take a while to come up, she had expected Artemis to be a total monster. She expected him to do things like torture her, she didn't expect him to be polite. It really caught her off guard. As she was thinking, a form planned in her head. If she could get on his good side, then maybe, just maybe, she could get him to let her leave without the ransom money. He didn't really need it, did he? In her head, he was just a greedy little mud boy, albeit a smart one. She didn't expect him to have a real reason for wanting that money. Then she remembered his mom had mentioned someone named Timmy. Could that be his father? If so, where was he? As she thought, she just got more and more confused. Who was Artemis Fowl really? And what was his story?


	4. Chapter 4: Beginning

Chapter 4: Beginning

The next day, Holly woke up with a plan in mind. She got dressed and went downstairs. Artemis, of course, was already down there drinking tea and reading the newspaper. She went and sat down, and Butler brought in that days breakfast. They started eating when Artemis asked "Sleep well?"  
"Yeah," Holly replied "You?"  
"Fine, thank you."  
After a moment of silence, Holly asked "Artemis, can... can I ask you a question?"  
"You just did." Artemis replied with a smirk  
Holly just looked at him. He sighed, "Yes." he said  
"Well, last night, your mother mentioned a man named Timmy. I was just wondering who he was."  
At the mention of his mother and the man, Artemis froze. Holly watched some sort of emotion flicker across his face, but it was gone before she could identify it.  
"The man you call Timmy is actually Artemis Fowl the first, my father." he replied  
"Where is he?"  
"He... he's been away for a while now. He'll be back soon though, I'll make sure of that."  
the way he said that made Holly think that it had a double meaning, but she didn't push him. She'd find out eventually. They talked about a few more things before they both finished their breakfast, and went to their rooms. Artemis to work, Holly to think.  
After a while of sitting on her bed thinking, Holly got bored. She decided to get up and walk around. Eventually, she found her way to the Fowl library. She pushed open the doors, and gasped at what she saw. Row after row, shelf after shelf of books were lined up in the gigantic room. It was like a book heaven. "Ah, I see you found the library." a familiar voice said  
Holly was snapped out of her daze, and looked over at the center of the room to see Artemis propped up in one of the many plushy chairs.  
"It's amazing." said Holly, making her way over to him  
"Yes, it's often where I go to think. I find the peaceful aroma... comforting." he replied  
"Do you come here often, then?" she asked  
He nodded. "All the time. I find it my favorite room in the house. It's got so many books and other things in here, so it doesn't feel so cavernous, like it's going to swallow you up. It may be a big room, but it doesn't _feel_ big."  
Holly nodded, and looked at him. How did such a young person end up so mature, and... unchildish? He should be out hanging with friends, going crazy over the newest video game or something. But, as she looked at him, he looked so much older than he actually was. There were premature lines wrinkling his brow, and there was the almost ever present frown on his face. If you were blind, you would think him so much older than twelve. She took the time to study his features, and as her eyes roamed around his face, they settled on his eyes. Every time she saw them, she was struck by an awed feeling. They were the most amazing shade of blue she had ever seen. As she looked at him, Artemis took the time to look at her. His eyes roamed over her auburn crew cut, and her pointed ears before also settling on her hazel eyes, making eye contact. When that happened, Holly saw so many emotions swirling around in those blue orbs. There was happiness, happiness for being able to talk to someone for real. There was a tiredness to him that he had never let anyone see before, showing in his eyes. There was joy, and sorrow, and even a little guilt, but mostly there was regret, and grief. So much grief, and pain, and Holly still had no real idea why there was so much. She wanted to know though. She wanted to know and to understand.  
Holly was confused again. Shouldn't she hate Artemis? He kidnapped her, and held her for ransom, and he had _hurt_ her fellow co-workers. If so, then why did she feel so comfortable around him? Why was she acting so friendly towards him? She didn't know what to do. In that moment of eye contact, Holly had realized something about him. There was so much to learn about him, about why he has so much grief. In that moment, she understood that few people had ever seen this side of him, and that she was lucky to be considered one of them.

Unknowingly, Holly had also let a ton of her emotions into her eyes. Artemis saw first, a sadness. Obviously, it was from being kidnapped, and taken away from her people. There was anxiousness, to be going home, or at least that's what he thought. There was also joy though, as if she was glad to be where she was. And there was relief, from, most likely, not having to stay in the basement. In that moment, Artemis felt the guilt clawing at his stomach more than ever. He knew what he had to do, he was just afraid to do it. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to say what he needed to say. "Holly, I just wanted to say that... I... I'm sorry, from taking you away from your people. I know what I did was horrible, but I assure, I have a reason for wanting the money. But, I know this was hard on you, so I felt you needed to hear it." at that, he looked down at the floor, breaking eye contact. He was expecting her to reject his apology, maybe slap him in the face, and tell him she didn't care and that he had ruined her life. Instead, he got what he was least expecting. Holly, looking at him there and then, surprised by his apology, forgave him, right then and there. She got up and walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Artemis, it's okay. By now, I had already guessed you had a good reason for wanting that money. You don't need to apologize, I already forgave you."  
he looked up at her, momentarily surprised. Then after a moment, he smiled at her. Not his signature vampire smile, but a real, genuine smile. Holly seeing this, couldn't help but smile back. "Though, I do want to know why you want the money." she continued  
The smile fell off his face when she said that. He wasn't ready to tell her. He wasn't ready to tell anyone, and it had been two years. "I... I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone right just yet. W... when I feel ready though, I'll tell you right away. You'll be the first person to know, okay?"  
Holly nodded, knowing she wasn't going to get it out of him. Oh well, she thought, I'll just have to wait till he's ready.

They sat there talking for a little while, and only when Artemis's eyes started drooping did they realize how late it was. Holly, who's eyes had started feeling heavy themselves, watched as he slowly fell asleep in his chair. She watched him for a second. He looked so much younger in his sleep. He had no frown, and no wrinkle lines on his brow. He looked like a normal teenager should, carefree and happy. She watched for a second longer before her eyes began to droop, and she gave in to the call of sleep.

**This one's a little longer, but I had to end it so I could do homework. Now that my performance is over, I should at least be updating every weekend. Review, and the next chapter will be up soon! Hope you like it. Also, Artemis will start becoming a bit OOC, but I'll try not to make it unbelievable. It's supposed to sort of be like the Artemis in the first book was just a mask, and he was starting to show the real him to Holly. And... yeah...**


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